Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Bleach series in any way. All copyrights go to Tite Kubo.


Author's Note: Gah, blahness! I'm back with another update! Yes! It's only a matter of time before this HitsuHina is put to a close. There's only about three more parts left! Anyways, special thanks goes to MoonLightView, Momo - Toshiro, KnowledgeandImagination, kRyStAlt3aRz, feronia. wings, Teddybear22, cocoamint for your awesome reviews! Enjoy chapter eight!


LEGEND

"Talking." "Thinking."


Ceased to Exist

Chapter Eight: The Lock Down

"Shiro-chan..."

She laid back to back against her boyfriend, staring at the rays of the moon peeking through the narrow slit windows. "What's wrong, Momo?" the white haired captain asked.

"Do you think we're going to come out of this alive?"

Hitsugaya closed his emerald-teal eyes. He wanted to tell her they're going to make it, but he didn't want to give her false hopes. "It's not likely..."

Momo looked down on the cold floor. "Souka?"

After reopening them, Hitsugaya raised his head and looked at the outdoor scenery from the slit window. What a beautiful sight he saw. It reminded him of the times they sat together on the rooftop, looking at the stars together. "I'll do my best to get us out of this..."

Momo began fiddling with her fingers. She didn't want to be the one to shoot down their hopes, but she had to ask. "What will happen if we can't?"

He turned around, loosely wrapped his arms around her neck, and pulled her towards his chest. Hitsugaya told his answer in her ear. "Then, we die together..."

Momo closed her eyes, gave a faint smile, and hugged his arms. "Hai..."

They hear the doors open revealing the third division vice-captain, Kira and sixth division lieutenant, Renji. "It's time for you to go," Renji said.

Neither of them said a word. Standing up, they held hands together. With one look at each other, they were prepared for the worse. No matter what happens, they're in this together. They walked out to face their destiny.


The Senkaimon opened. Kyoraku, Ukitake, Hisagi, Rukia, and Ichigo have just arrived in Seireitei only to find no one stopping them. "What is going on here?" Hisagi wondered. "Where's all the guards?"

"Taicho!" called out several voices.

Appearing in front of the group of Shinigami is Kotetsu Kiyone, Kotsubaki Sentaro, and Nanao Ise. "What's happening?" Ukitake asked.

"The execution is about to start. You and Kyoraku-taicho are asked to be summoned at Sokyoku Hill moments ago," Kiyone stated.

"Hey! That's my line!" Sentaro snapped at the shorter third seat. "I'm supposed to say it!"

"Well too bad! I already did!"

"Yare yare, it seems like we don't have much time left," Kyoraku said.

"Let's hurry and stop it before it's too late," Ichigo exclaimed. "We need to help Toshiro and Momo!"


"Any last words?" Yamamoto asked the two Shinigami that stood before him and the rest of the Gotei 13.

"No soitaicho," Momo replied.

He then turned his attention to the young captain. "Hitsugaya Toshiro?"

He did have some words to say, but he decided not to say a thing. The tenth division captain is certain that Momo shares the same sediments. He said, "No."

"Very well..."

Just as they were about to commence the execution, they have arrived. "Yare yare, it's time to crash the party," Kyoraku said.

"Kyoraku-taicho! Ukitake-taicho! Minna-san!" Momo exclaimed.

"Shunsui...Jushiro," Yamamoto said, raising an eyebrow. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Gomen nesai Genryusai-sensei, but those two are innocent," Ukitake said. "We have proof that it is the workings of another person."

"Nani?"

"Tch, you all disappoint me," said a voice.

With many Shinigami heads looked up, they all saw Akira floating in the air, with a frown on her face. Using only the powers on her fingertips, she lifted Hitsugaya and Momo into the air and trapping them together in a dark circle barrier. Summoning a shock wave of electricity on her hand, the same effect is influenced on the barrier. The young couple felt the pain of the attack. Momo screamed as Hitsugaya held his ground, refusing to give in. Without a moment to waste, Ichigo drew his Zangetsu and released a sword beam at the red headed girl. "Getsuga Tensho!" he exclaimed.

At the same time, Rukia drew her zanpakuto. "Mae, Sode no Shirayuki!"

She held her sword out in front of her and turns it in a circle counter-clockwise. While she is turning it, the blade, hilt and cross guard turn completely white. The hilt guard becomes a hollow snowflake-like circle and a white ribbon forms from the pommel from the end of the handle. "Tsugi no Mai: Hakuren!"

She punctured the ground in front of her four times in a semi circle before taking a battle stance. Ice particles begin to flow up from the protrusions she made in the ground. They build up and then fires toward the target in a massive, powerful pure-white wave of ice from Sode no Shirayuki's blade at Akira. Noticing both attacks approaching her, she easily evaded the assaults. Clenching her fist together, she sent a stronger wave of electricity to hurt Hitsugaya and Hinamori.

"Taicho! Hinamori-chan!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"Hado Number 58: Tenran!" Hisagi shouted as he fired a tornado-like beam at the barrier, freeing the two imprisoned ones.

Catching Momo in his arms, Hitsugaya soon landed on the ground safely. "Daijobou, Momo?" he asked.

Slowly turning her head, she gave him a faint smile. "Hai, I'm alright."

"Why? Why is it that you all don't just kill them like what you did to me?" Akira asked.

"A-Akira, stop this," Momo exclaimed, looking up at the lone girl.

"We're not your pawns," Ichigo exclaimed. "Vengeance is not the answer."

"An ignorant act," Rukia added.

"Silence! Each and every one of you are at fault for hurting Momo's feelings. That is why she wants to forget about you all in the first place!" Akira exclaimed. Just as she turned to Matsumoto, who threw her captain's zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru back in his possession, Hitsugaya slowly and carefully placed Momo back on the ground. Giving her a short kiss, the two nodded with silent agreement. He promises to come back to her when all this is over. He then leaped into the air and clashed swords against her long nails. "You should forget her. She never cared for you in the first place."

"Momo is not like that. You don't go around telling other people what should happen and what should not. Whether Momo likes it or not, she's exists in this world. There will always be one person who will remember her," Hitsugaya replied.

Her eyes narrowed at the young prodigy. "Foolish little boy..."

Pushing him away with a force from her hand, she made some distance between them. It is not too long after she fired a red beam at him. Seeing the attack is coming, Hitsugaya quickly evades it with shunpo and reappeared at her side. Swinging his zanpakuto towards her, Akira dodges it. With a flick of her fingers, she summons Hollows into Soul Society.

"She can control the Hollows?" Kira asked.

"We're doomed!" Omaeda panicked. "There's so many of them!"

Just as he put his hands on his cheeks, Soi Fon retaliated by punching him in the face instead. "Shut up!" she exclaimed, "and pull yourself together!"

"Eliminate them all!" Yamamoto commanded, slamming his cane down on the ground.

In response, many Shinigami scattered to attack the surrounding Hollows in the area. Kuchiki Byakuya drew his zanpakuto and held it out in front of him. "Chire, Senbonzakura."

As a result, his blade turned into thousands of cherry blossom petals that pierced through the enemy Hollows, disintegrating them into the atmosphere. Jumping from behind is Renji. Placing one hand over his blade, he called out his release command. "Hoero, Zabimaru!"

With no moment to waste, his blade turned into a six part segmented blade. "Take this!" Throwing its stretched form, it sliced the Hollows from a distance.


Meanwhile, back with Hitsugaya, he swung his zanpakuto across his body. "Souten ni Zase, Hyorinmaru!" he exclaimed, summoning his ice dragon from the tip of his blade. Though Akira evaded the attack, he managed to freeze the surrounding Hollows in his way.

With a grin on her face, Akira turned her body to the side and disappeared. Watching her do that, the tenth division captain is not going to let her get away. Using his flash step, he followed. "Shiro-chan!" Momo exclaimed.

"Hinamori-chan!" Matsumoto exclaimed, tossing her Tobiume back in her hands.

After catching her zanpakuto, Momo nodded. Just as she disappeared, Matsumoto, Rukia, and Ichigo have agreed to also help the young prodigy in the main battle. They ran off to chase down the other three.


As they were making their way to catch up with Hitsugaya and Akira, they found Hinamori, surrounded by a group of Hollows, Huge Hollows, and Gillian. Just when one of them were about to attack, Matsumoto got in between his peer and the enemy. With a fist held up, she said, "Bakudo Number 8: Seki!"

As a result, the enemy were paralyzed on the spot before Hinamori slashed it in half. "Where's taicho?" Matsumoto asked.

"He's above us," Momo replied, "fighting against her."

More Hollowed tried to attack, but were only defeated by Ichigo's and Rukia's attacks. "We'll help Hitsugaya-taicho once we get rid of all these Hollows," Rukia said.

"H-Hai!"

Holding out her hand and zanpakuto together, Matsumoto called out her sword's released form. "Unare, Haineko!" With the blade turning into ashes, she commanded it to trap the Hollows in a concentrated area before destroying them into oblivion with her ash tornado.

"Hajike, Toibume!" Hinamori exclaimed as her zanpakuto formed into a three pronged straight sword. She fired energy balls at the flying Hollows, eliminating them from the air.

"Some no Mai: Tsukishiro!" Rukia called out while holding her zanpakuto upside down. The blade glows and then she makes a slashing motion. As a result, a large ice circle forms around the Hollows in her domain. The circle then is frozen upwards, touching the heavens above and freezing the enemies. It is not too long after, the pillar of ice is shattered into ice crystals.

"Bankai!" Ichigo exclaimed, transforming his appearance to a similar form of his zanpakuto. "Tensa Zangetsu!"

With his speed dramatically increased, the orange haired Substitute Shinigami appeared in front of the surrounding Gillian. Raising his regular looking zanpakuto, he did a vertical slash, sending out a beam at the Hollows. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Putting her hands together, Hinamori whispered a few words of incantation and finally shouted out, Hado Number 33: Sokatsui, sending out a blue wave of spiritual energy at the Hollows in front of her. They roared, disappearing from her sights.


Meanwhile, the friction of nails and blades were clashed against one another as Hitsugaya and Akira continued their battle high in the skies. Akira fired beams of energy with both her arms as Hitsugaya manages to avoid each and every one of the assaults. Seeing an opening in her attack pattern, the tenth division captain threw the chain part of his zanpakuto and wrapped her body, keeping her arms immobilized. Then using shunpo, he came behind her. Raising his sword in the air, he was about to strike down on her when Akira pulled away from the attack.

Freeing one of her arms, she grabbed the chain and pulled Hitsugaya towards her. As bodies slammed into one another, Akira grinned with amusement. On the palm of her hand she prepared to fire a red beam of energy at point range. Without a moment to waste, Hitsugaya quickly defended himself by holding out his free hand and called out Enkosen, summoning a shield of condensed reiatsu, blocking the attack.

Just as he diagonally slashed her, Akira narrowly avoided from having to blood shed. Unfortunately, it can't be said the same for her hair. A section of it is sliced off by Hitsugaya's Hyorinmaru. "H-How dare you!" she screeched. "You will die!"


Hinamori raised her head up to notice a dark barrier surrounding the two battlers. She had a feeling if she were to stay here, this raven haired girl to be at her boyfriend's aid when he needed it. With no time to waste, she jumped in the barrier just as it thickened.

"H-Hinamori-chan!" Matsumoto exclaimed as she and Ichigo tried to go after her only to be repelled back out.

"Damn it, we can't get in!" Ichigo exclaimed, "and those Hollows keep coming."

"We have no other choice Ichigo," Rukia said. "we just have to keep fighting until the main battle ends."


Everything seemed foreign around her. Momo wondered where she is at. The surrounding area is dark, gloomy, and dull. Her eyes suddenly went on alert. Behind her back stood the red headed girl, Akira. The fifth division lieutenant quickly turned around and said, "Akira, stop this please."

"No, you asked for it," she replied. "You get your wish."

Knowing that she is about to attack, Hinamori tried to keep her distance only to realize that for some reason, she couldn't move a muscle. "Nani? What's going on?"

As fear began to fill her thoughts, she gasped, helplessly watching her walking up to her. She had an evil grin and a set of extra long nails suitable to cut her throat with one stab. Once she stood face to face, Akira bent over towards her face, she said, "It's time for you to die Hinamori Momo."


References

Souka - Is that so / Really

Hai - Yes

Taicho - Captain

Soitaicho - Captain Commander

Minna - Everyone

Gomen nesai - I'm sorry

Nani - What

Daijobou - Are you alright

Shunpo - Flash step

Reiatsu - Spiritual Pressure


Author's Note: The battle's heating up and Momo's in danger! Will she come out of this alive? Find out what happens in the next chapter!

SPOILER ALERT, do NOT read if you don't want to spoil yourselves. Anyways, on a side note, not much Hitsugaya air time for episode 240, but there's still some fluff going on between him and his zanpakuto. How cute...xD But at least there's more Hinamori air time. Yay!

As for Bleach Movie: Fade to Black, I swear...Hitsugaya's hair is more puffier. It makes me want to give him a little noogie. xD He'll hate me for that. LOL

Please review! Thanks.